Month: May 2015

“The energy of Haiti makes you feel more real with yourself and others. It makes you feel like you’ve been stripped down to your core being, and naturally show your character that you’ve been building throughout the course of your life. A country with such a strong sense of culture, a harsh and violent past that demonstrates the determination of the country to be the first Black nation to win their independence, presents an energy that gives you force…though naturally presents challenges at times. You think about what it means to be in survival mode, and find yourself sometimes relating to this term, but in the best way possible. The people are far from being passive, robotic, autonomous, and quiet. If you are working here, you question why you are doing what you do, what it is bringing to people, how are people responding to it, and this makes you want to do the best you can. At the end of the day, you know that as a foreigner, you will never go unnoticed, and …

“Beach hopping in Curaçao! I’ve never had so many turquoise water beaches to choose from — yes this was paradise!! On our last day on the breathtaking island in the Caribbean just off the coast of Venezuela, there sits this island that claims 38 different beaches with sunny skies along the southern and west coasts. We drove our car from beach to beach and took a dive in the crystal clear turquoise waters — so clear I could see colorful fish floating beneath me while I swam. It was one of the sweetest and most epic experiences in my life — nature at its finest! As a multicultural person, half Persian and half Afghan — born in Hungary and raised in Germany and California — I’ve seen and experienced a lot of beautiful cultures and lands. But never have I seen so much of paradise in one place like I witnessed on the island of Curaçao… My travel tip is to allow yourself to get lost, you’ll be amazed at what you’ll find. With my beach hopping …

“Between two worlds. To live in two absolutely different cultures is like living in two different worlds. You know the famous places and the places you wouldn’t dare visit…the danger zones…But so often in my life, I had the feeling that I didn’t belong to anything. Neither to one world or the other. I was not a local…I was a sightseer…a stranger in my own life…I understood both worlds but I didn’t have a sense of belonging. Last year, I took a journey to the other side… My father is Indian and my mother is German. My parents got divorced when I was 4. But, I always asked myself why it was that I only existed in one of the worlds. So, I wanted to go back to discover my roots on my own…to see if I belong more to India or Germany. I wanted to know if I’m a German potato or if there is anything else in me, maybe a little Indian monk! It was a strange feeling standing in Delhi Airport. It …

“I spent three months in Bolivia with my best friend in College where we did an extensive photo project documenting the country. For some reason, we got it in our heads when we were in La Paz to hire mountaineers and climb the second highest mountain in Bolivia named Huayna Potosí with a summit height of 6088 meters…It was a two-day climb, which by the way, started with a walk past the cemetery of all the dead climbers…Luckily I brought a mechanical Contax camera with me that could operate without a battery because all battery-powered objects stopped working about half way in due to the temperature… When we reached base camp for the night, we had to quickly eat, sleep and wake up at 1am for the arduous trek to the summit…Sadly my friend and his lady did not make it to the summit and passed out…thankfully my stubbornness along with the help of a Scandinavian man pushing me along (because if I stopped, he had to), we reached the summit to watch the sunrise …

“In a week and a half, I’m doing my favorite trip of the year. It doesn’t involve a plane, car or a train, but my bicycle. I’m riding 545 miles to smell the ocean, strawberries and hear people’s laughter between oak trees; riding from San Francisco to Los Angeles for the third time… It’s not a race, but a journey. Along the way, I’ll get time to think, meet new people, and hear stories from those around me…Stories that will make me smile, laugh, and cry. I signed up the first time after watching a close friend of mine ride. Every week he posted pictures of him riding across the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin…As a new Bay Area resident, I wanted to explore and meet new friends… The thing that brings me back year after year is the sense of community…The folks on the ride are genuinely interested in being there and the authenticity they bring is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. For one week, 2,000+ strangers come together…It’s really magical. The ride …

“I am a children’s book author and a few years ago, I scribbled out a new manuscript about kindergarten being a metaphor for an astronaut launching into a new adventure. I didn’t finish it then – but tossed it in a drawer waiting for more inspiration. I had loved space as a kid which inspired the story. Then my best friend and her family moved to Orlando one summer and we went to visit them. We spent three days at the Disney parks and on the fourth day, she suggested we go to Kennedy Space Center. I was hoping for one more day at the theme parks with our kids. But my husband was done with the theme parks and was excited to go. Once I got there, I fell in love with space all over again…The astronaut suits, real moon rock, simulated mission, rocket garden, and recreated Mission Control re-inspired my interest and I went home and finished my manuscript and named it PLANET KINDERGARTEN. I was hoping the book would get kids excited …

“Listening to and singing my national anthem then watching my OWN country play live at the WORLD CUP in Brazil! As a football fan from a third world country, I grew up just hoping that my country would qualify for the World Cup. Then, when it happened and I was actually able to combine my obsession for traveling with my love for football, that was just priceless! A trip I will never forget even more so as the Fennecs made us proud! Walking around Rio de Janeiro streets and beaches with my flag, people recognizing it and telling me how amazing our team played and how it’s the first time they met someone from Algeria was pure joy!” – Yasmine Ferdjani // @layasmeen 038/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project

“I have been fortunate enough to travel a good chunk of the world and when I fall in love, most who know me would say I fall pretty hard! But nothing could prepare me for my trip last year to volunteer for a month in Cambodia. I thought it would be a nice adventure, something different from my usual wanderlust…I had no idea this opportunity and this place would change my life forever… I was placed with one of my best friends, Ben, at a soup kitchen for street children called “Les Restaurant Des Enfants” also known as “LRDE” in the capital city of Phnom Penh. There, I had the opportunity to fall in love with over 200 children, learn their stories and find out about a powerful organization that helps street children get an education by feeding them everyday so they can just focus on the important business of being kids instead of joining the work force. Getting an education is so important to break the cycle of poverty in this amazing and beautiful …

“I fell in love with capturing street art once I started to learn the artists’ names and get an appreciation for their individual styles… It’s all about the thrill of the hunt…whether it’s circling your work turf, or heading to new streets, it’s the same urge that drives me: Today I will find something new; something great! Having that experience and being able to share it with others gives me a high each time… It was one of those days when I knew that I would find something special…My meanderings took me far away from work…One more turn, I kept telling myself and as I was passing by a church yard, where lunch was being served, I saw the most striking mural I have ever seen…There was a sense of serenity to it, a sense of awe…This piece by Jules Julien remains one of my most memorable finds to date…” – Max Chavelev // @maxchavelev 036/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project

“Back in 2007 for my 23rd birthday, my sister, two friends and I went to Cancun to celebrate…I do not recall what inspired me to suggest the trip, but there was no looking back after that! As the daughter of Ugandan immigrants, I started traveling at a very young age. My first international trip was at the age of seven when we went on our first family trip to Uganda via London, so I am no stranger to travel. Each year it seems my birthday celebrations get bigger and better. 24 was spent in Kobe, Japan and I had proper Kobe beef for dinner. For my 25th, me and 18 friends descended upon Puerto Rico. 26 was spent dancing the night away in London. 27 wasn’t super eventful but I did some light partying with new friends in Rome. 28 was spent enjoying dinner with close friends on a Roman rooftop followed by partying too late into the night. 29 was spent on Lake Victoria with my mom and some of her close friends. Finally, …